The Weekly Brief: October 16, 2026

This edition turns to the lateral market. A national firm is buying a Vancouver deal boutique, McCarthy Tétrault has added two tax partners in Toronto, and Lenczner Slaght has a new health law counsel. Vancouver's in-firm week starts on Monday, with Toronto's call day at the end of the week. Two law societies have also closed nominations for bencher elections, and we look at what lawyers in the Vancouver region earn.

This week: Vancouver offers, then Toronto call day

Vancouver's 2L recruit for summer 2027 comes to a head next week. In-firm interviews run from Monday, October 19 to Wednesday, October 21, and firms may make offers from 5:00 p.m. Pacific on October 21. Offers stay open until 5:00 p.m. Pacific on Thursday, October 22, according to the University of Saskatchewan's summary of the Vancouver dates. Plan to be in Vancouver in person for the week.

Toronto's call day is Friday, October 23 at 8:00 a.m. Eastern. In-firm interviews follow from November 2 to 4, and offers may not be made before 5:00 p.m. Eastern on November 4, as Osler's Toronto student page sets out. If you are in both recruits, a Vancouver offer will expire before Toronto's in-firm week starts, so decide ahead of time what you would accept. Our 2L call day guide and call day planner help you get ready.

Market: a Vancouver acquisition and new partners

On October 13, Miller Thomson announced that it is acquiring Mogan Daniels Slager, a Vancouver boutique that works across Western Canada and on Canada and US cross-border deals. Its practice covers private company and mid-market M&A, private equity (including fund formation), and debt and growth equity financings. The firm says the 11 lawyers are expected to join in early November, and that its corporate, M&A and securities group will then have about 130 lawyers across five provinces (Miller Thomson).

On October 14, McCarthy Tétrault said Brandon Wiener has joined as a partner and lead of its private client tax planning practice, and Milan Vukovic has joined as a partner. Both are in Toronto, within the firm's National Tax Group. The firm notes that Wiener has more than 20 years of tax experience and clerked at the Supreme Court of Canada (McCarthy Tétrault).

On October 13, Lenczner Slaght said Kelly Kim has joined as counsel in its health law practice. She acts for regulated health professionals in medical negligence, privacy, College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario proceedings, and hospital privileges disputes (Lenczner Slaght).

We log partner, counsel, and team moves like these in our partner moves tracker, each with a link to the source.

Regulators: bencher elections in Alberta and BC

Nominations for the Law Society of Alberta's bencher election closed at 4:30 p.m. on October 13. Voting opens November 10 and closes at 4:30 p.m. Mountain time on November 17, and 19 bencher seats are up (Law Society of Alberta election FAQ). If you practise in Alberta, watch for your voting information in the weeks ahead.

In British Columbia, nominations for the bencher by-election in the County of Westminster (District No. 4) closed at 4:30 p.m. on October 15 (Law Society of British Columbia-close-on-october-15/)).

By the numbers: lawyer pay in the Vancouver region

The median lawyer in the region that includes Vancouver earns $66.65 an hour, or about $139,000 for a full-time year of 2,080 hours (Job Bank). That is a little below the Toronto region's median of $69.74 (Job Bank). These figures cover all lawyers, not only large firms, so pay at a downtown firm can sit well above or below them. Our Vancouver legal market guide has more on the city.

The Weekly Brief is published every week. Have news about a move, a new firm, or a change in pay? Tell us at will@laterallawreport.com and include a public source.